Skip to main content
Articles | Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology | Volume 3 - Issue 1 - 2025 | 51-63 | https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i1.652
© 2025 by the author(s), and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License

Evaluation of Microbial Contamination and Diversity in Raw Goat Meat from Selected Abattoirs in Awka, Nigeria

Author(s): Ugochukwu Chukwuma Okafor ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2065-7039 , Ikechukwu Martins Nwobu ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4530-888X , Chidiebele Lawrence Ozuah ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1383-9203
Author(s) information:
Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Faculty of Biosciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria

Corresponding author

Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology

Volume 3 - Issue 1 - 2025

 About the journal
Submit your article

The present investigation aimed to quantify and characterize the microbial diversity and contamination load in raw goat meat procured from abattoirs within the Awka Metropolis, with a focus on hygiene indicator microorganisms and pathogenic entities. Raw meat samples were systematically collected from five predefined anatomical regions—liver, muscle, top site, belly, and genitals—on five randomly selected carcasses from multiple abattoirs. The samples were cultured using an array of selective media, leading to the identification and enumeration of thirteen fungal isolates and sixteen bacterial isolates. The isolates were subsequently purified and identified to the species level through comprehensive macroscopic, microscopic, and biochemical analyses. The microbial contamination load was then compared against local and international regulatory benchmarks. All measured contamination levels were found to be within permissible thresholds, with most microbial loads reflecting the prevailing sanitary and environmental conditions within the Awka Metropolis. The study revealed the presence of pathogenic bacterial species with the following frequencies: Escherichia coli (100%), Klebsiella spp. (60%), Salmonella spp. (60%), and Staphylococcus aureus (100%). Among fungal contaminants, Candida albicans (80%), Aspergillus niger (80%), and Fusarium spp. (60%) were predominant. The microorganisms identified were primarily opportunistic pathogens but posed significant risks to public health, particularly to individuals with pre-existing conditions or compromised immune systems. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced sanitary protocols not only within abattoirs but also in the management of water sources and overall hygiene infrastructure throughout Awka, in order to mitigate microbial transmission risks and safeguard public health.

Read Full-Text
Previous article
Next article

Ovuru, K.F.; Izah, S.C.; Ogidi, O.I.; Imarhiagbe, O.; Ogwu M.C. (2023). Slaughterhouse facilities in developing nations: sanitation and hygiene practices, microbial contaminants and sustainable management system. Food Science and Biotechnology, 33, 519–537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-023-01406-x.

Njoga, E.O.; Ilo, S.U.; Nwobi, O.C.; Onwumere-Idolor, O.S.; Ajibo, F.E.; Okoli, C.E.; Jaja, I.F.; Oguttu, J.W. (2023). Pre-slaughter, slaughter and post-slaughter practices of slaughterhouse workers in Southeast, Nigeria: Animal welfare, meat quality, food safety and public health implications. PLOS ONE, 18, e0282418. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282418.

Madoroba, E.; Magwedere, K.; Chaora, N.S.; Matle, I.; Muchadeyi, F.; Mathole, M.A.; Pierneef, R. (2021). Microbial Communities of Meat and Meat Products: An Exploratory Analysis of the Product Quality and Safety at Selected Enterprises in South Africa. Microorganisms, 9, 507. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9030507.

Chatterjee, A.; Abraham, J. (2018). Microbial Contamination, Prevention, and Early Detection in Food Industry. Microbial Contamination and Food Degradation, 21–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-811515-2.00002-0.

Manyi-Loh, C.E.; Ryk Lues. (2023). A South African Perspective on the Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Meat: Plausible Public Health Implications. Microorganisms, 11, 2484. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11102484.

Alegbeleye, O.O.; Singleton, I.; Sant’Ana, A.S. (2018). Sources and contamination routes of microbial pathogens to fresh produce during field cultivation: A review. Food Microbiology, 73, 177–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2018.01.003.

Ayoub, H.; Kumar, M.S.; Dubal, Z.B.; Kiran Narayan Bhilegaonkar; Nguyen-Viet, H.; Grace, D.; Sakshi Thapliyal; Ekkoruparambil Sethurajan Sanjumon; Naga, E.; Dharavath Premkumar; Kumar, V.; Deka, R.P. (2025). Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Important Foodborne Pathogens Isolated from Retail Chicken Meat and Associated Environments in India. Foods, 14, 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14040555.

Al-Mazrouei, M.A.; Al-Kharousi, Z.S.; Al-Kharousi, J.M.; Al-Barashdi, H.M. (2024). Microbiological Evaluation of Local and Imported Raw Beef Meat at Retail Sites in Oman with Emphasis on Spoilage and Pathogenic Psychrotrophic Bacteria. Microorganisms, 12, 2545. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122545.

Committee On The Review Of The USDA E Coli O157:H7 Farm-To-Table Process Risk Assessment. (2002). Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef: review of a draft risk assessment. National Academies Press: Washington DC, USA.

Rortana, C.; Nguyen-Viet, H.; Tum, S.; Unger, F.; Boqvist, S.; Dang-Xuan, S.; Lindahl, J.F. (2021). Prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus in Chicken Meat and Pork from Cambodian Markets. Pathogens, 10, 556. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10050556.

Pérez-Boto, D.; D’Arrigo, M.; García-Lafuente, A.; Bravo, D.; Pérez-Baltar, A.; Gaya, P.; Medina, M.; Arqués, J.L. (2023). Staphylococcus aureus in the Processing Environment of Cured Meat Products. Foods, 12, 2161. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112161.

Yousif, M. (2025). Food Pathways of Salmonella and Its Ability to Cause Gastroenteritis in North Africa. Foods, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14020253.

Khan, R.; Anwar, F.; Ghazali, F.M. (2024). A comprehensive review of mycotoxins: Toxicology, detection, and effective mitigation approaches. Heliyon, e28361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28361.

Awuchi, C.G.; Ondari, E.N.; Ogbonna, C.U.; Upadhyay, A.K.; Baran, K.; Okpala, C.O.R.; Korzeniowska, M.; Guiné, R.P.F. (2021). Mycotoxins Affecting Animals, Foods, Humans, and Plants: Types, Occurrence, Toxicities, Action Mechanisms, Prevention, and Detoxification Strategies- A Revisit. Foods, 10, 1279. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061279.

Djeugap, J.F.; Ghimire, S.; Wanjuki, I.; Muiruri, A.; Harvey, J. (2019). Mycotoxin Contamination of Edible Non-Timber Forest Products in Cameroon. Toxins, 11, 430. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11070430.

Grace, D. (2023). Burden of foodborne disease in low-income and middle-income countries and opportunities for scaling food safety interventions. Food Security, 15, 1475–1488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-023-01391-3.

Ali, S.; Alsayeqh, A.F. (2022). Review of major meat-borne zoonotic bacterial pathogens. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1045599.

Brasil, L.; Queiroz, A.; Silva, J.; Bezerra, T.; Arcanjo, N.; Magnani, M.; Souza, E.; Madruga, M. (2014). Microbiological and Nutritional Quality of the Goat Meat by-Product “Sarapatel.” Molecules, 19, 1047–1059. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules19011047.

Cao, X.; Xiong, H.; Fan, Y.; Xiong, L. (2024). Comparing the Effects of Two Culture Methods to Determine the Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Colony Count in Hospital Purified Water. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-023-00186-1.

Gilligan, P.H. (2013). Identification of Pathogens by Classical Clinical Tests. The Prokaryotes, 57–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30144-5_90.

Poddar, K.; Padhan, B.; Sarkar, D.; Sarkar, A. (2021). Purification and optimization of pink pigment produced by newly isolated bacterial strain Enterobacter sp. PWN1. SN Applied Sciences, 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-021-04146-x.

Yuan, P.; Qian, W.; Jiang, L.; Jia, C.; Ma, X.; Kang, Z.; Liu, J. (2021). A secreted catalase contributes to Puccinia striiformis resistance to host-derived oxidative stress. Stress Biology, 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44154-021-00021-2.

Chiarlone, S. A.; Gori, A.; Ravetta, S.; Armani, A.; Guardone, L.; Pedonese, F.; Bavetta, S.; Fiannacca, C.; Pussini, N.; Maurella, C.; Razzuoli, E. (2025). Microbiological Analysis Conducted on Raw Milk Collected During Official Sampling in Liguria (North-West Italy) over a Ten-Year Period (2014–2023). Animals, 15, 286. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15020286.

Palma, V.; Gutiérrez, M.S.; Vargas, O.; Parthasarathy, R.; Navarrete, P. (2022). Methods to Evaluate Bacterial Motility and Its Role in Bacterial–Host Interactions. Microorganisms, 10, 563. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10030563.

Oluseyi Osunmakinde, C.; Selvarajan, R.; Mamba, B.B.; Msagati, T.A.M. (2019). Profiling Bacterial Diversity and Potential Pathogens in Wastewater Treatment Plants Using High-Throughput Sequencing Analysis. Microorganisms, 7, 506. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7110506.

Ango, T.S.; Gelaw, N.B.; Zegene, G.M.; Teshome, T.; Getahun, T. (2024). Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of bacteria isolated from the hands of housemaids in Jimma City, Ethiopia. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1301685.

Olu-Taiwo, M.; Obeng, P.; Forson, A.O. (2021). Bacteriological Analysis of Raw Beef Retailed in Selected Open Markets in Accra, Ghana. Journal of Food Quality, 2021, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6666683.

Kebede, M.; Getu, A.A. (2023). Assessment of bacteriological quality and safety of raw meat at slaughterhouse and butchers’ shop (retail outlets) in Assosa Town, Beneshangul Gumuz Regional State, Western Ethiopia. BMC Microbiology, 23, 110. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-023-02831-0.

Bantawa, K.; Rai, K.; Subba Limbu, D.; Khanal, H. (2018). Food-borne bacterial pathogens in marketed raw meat of Dharan, eastern Nepal. BMC Research Notes, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-018-3722-x.

Okafor, U.C.; Ayejimba, C.I.; Archibong, J.E.; Umeh, S.O. (2018). Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Microorganisms Isolated from Abattoirs in Awka Metropolis, Anambra State, Nigeria. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 7(4), 290–301. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.704.033.

Aniekwu, C.C.; Okafor, U.C.; Onyeneho, V.I. (2024). Estimation of Cellulolytic Bacteria from Cowdung in Awka Central Abattoir, Anambra State, Nigeria. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science, 9(1), 228–236. https://doi.org/10.51584/ijrias.2024.90121.

Read Full-Text
About this article

SUBMITTED: 03 April 2025
ACCEPTED: 15 May 2025
PUBLISHED: 19 May 2025
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 42 days
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i1.652

Cite this article
Okafor, U. C., Nwobu, I. M. ., & Ozuah , C. L. . (2025). Evaluation of Microbial Contamination and Diversity in Raw Goat Meat from Selected Abattoirs in Awka, Nigeria. Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology, 3(1), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i1.652
Keywords
Fungal Isolates Microbial Contamination Pathogenic Bacteria Raw Goat Meat Sanitary Protocols
Accessed
105
Citations
0
Share this article